Existing non-contact ESD event detectors are primarily based on high frequency electromagnetic radiation, induced by the very fast charge transfer between two objects.
As an example, an ESD event detector from Credence Technologies (U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,319) creates relaxation oscillation signals in a ringing circuit resulting from an ESD event. Then the signals pass through the high frequency amplifier to an envelope detector. A DC Voltage on the detector output is then said to be proportional to ESD event amplitude. However other signals with appropriate spectra components could cause false detections. Also the DC Voltage on the detector output may strongly depend on the ESD rise time. Further the falling edge of the ESD event may also create ringing which interferes and may give an inaccurate output.
An ESD event detector from 3M (U.S. Pat. No. 7,525,316) uses analog to digital sampling and a microprocessor for digital signal processing to differentiate between ESD events and other signals such as Electromagnetic Interference (EMI). This device may not be able recognize multiple successive ESD events, because a relatively long sampling time is required to detect each ESD event. Also both sampling and digital signal processing require high power consumption. Thus it may not be easy to use a battery power supply using such a method.
The prior art also includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,315,255, U.S. Pat. No. 5,719,502, U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,220, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,319.